WHERE DID THE TERM, “SERVANT-LEADERSHIP” ORIGINATE? (Post 2)

Servanthood Lessons for the Christian Nonprofit Sector (Post 2)

In 1970, Robert K. Greenleaf coined the term”servant-leader” in his essay, “The Servant as Leader.” Greenleaf was a business man, spending 40 years at AT&T, and it was there that this concept emerged informed by his Judeo-Christian perspective as a Quaker.

He wrote, “The servant-leader is servant first.… Becoming a servant-leader begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first.” Greenleaf’s emphasis was on being a servant first—in his view servanthood was primary. He goes on to explain what being a servant in an organization means:

“The difference [between being a servant first and being a leader first] manifests itself in the care taken by the servant first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and most difficult to administer, is this: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?” (see https://www.gonzaga.edu/news-events/stories/2023/9/26/robert-greenleaf-servant-leadership)

The Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership goes on to explain, “A servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong. While traditional leadership generally involves the accumulation and exercise of power by one at the ‘top of the pyramid,’ servant leadership is different. The servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first, and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible.” (https://greenleaf.org/what-is-servant-leadership/)

As I ponder Greenleaf’s original intended meaning for the term servant-leader, I wonder if his meaning is still how we define the term today. Greenleaf listed the term “servant” first because he wanted that concept to be first, that is, to be primary. That makes sense, but perhaps in order to return to Greenleaf’s original definition, the order of the two words, “servant” and “leader” should be reversed.

My issue with the term “servant-leader” is that it is often interpreted as a type of leadership where the word “servant” acts as an adjective describing the leadership style. By listing the term “servant” first, the term has drifted from it’s original meaning becoming a phrase where “leadership” (the noun) is overemphasized (If you missed post #1 on the overemphasis of leadership in the West, you can find it in my profile).

Greenleaf intended for servanthood to be primary, not leadership. In my opinion, the term, “Leader Servant” (or Lead Servant) puts the emphasis on servanthood, making it primary as it should be.

So let’s return to Greenleaf’s questions for leaders: Do those we serve grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? Are we sharing power? Are we putting the needs of others (not the organization) first? Are we helping our staff develop and perform as highly as possible?

If we can answer, yes, God will smile on us and bless our organizations.

Dave Jacob
Chief Servant Officer
Gospel Mobilization

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